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paralleling ASFG 1 lesson on “FELLOWSHIP”
BIBLE READING: Exodus, 34th and 35th Chapters
ASFG LESSON: Fellowship: "Our Fellowship with God"
(pages 55 and 56)
The law and ordinances given to Moses for the people of Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land were God’s first great expression of fellowship with humanity. Through these commands, God invited the people to live in a manner that reflected His holiness, showing them that obedience was not about legalism, but about relationship and harmony with the Divine. In a spiritual sense, these ancient laws were a shadow of the greater promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who became the living expression of that fellowship—“the Word made flesh” (John 1:14).
When Moses received the Ten Commandments and the detailed instructions for constructing the tabernacle (Exodus 34–35), God was not merely establishing ritual or ceremony. Rather, He was giving humanity a pattern of divine fellowship. Every furnishing, every measurement, and every material chosen for the tabernacle symbolized an aspect of the inner life of man—the body as the temple of the living God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Thus, as the main text says, “the tabernacle was emblematical of our own body,” a sacred vessel where the Divine Presence might dwell.
The ark of the covenant, placed in the Holy of Holies, represented that inner meeting place between God and the soul—the “mercy seat” symbolizing the privilege of human choice and communion. This parallels Exodus 34:29–35, where Moses’ face shone after communing with God. That radiance mirrors what happens within us when we enter true fellowship with the Divine Spirit—our inner being becomes illuminated by His presence.
Fellowship Through His Promises
Edgar Cayce's bible class notes reminds us that God’s promises never change, and that the essence of fellowship is found in trusting those promises. Just as the Israelites trusted God’s word in the wilderness, we too must “rely on His promises and keep His commandments,” as the ASFG lesson teaches.
Exodus 34:10 records God saying, “Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels.” This covenant was a promise of presence—that if Israel would walk in obedience, God would dwell among them. In the New Testament, this same truth is fulfilled in Jesus Christ: “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). The law given through Moses was a preparation, while Christ’s love is the completion of that law.
Thus, as Cayce explains, Moses gave rules and ordinances as an interpretation of God’s offer of fellowship, while Jesus simplified it: “Love one another, even as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This single commandment unites all others, expressing the spirit of fellowship not through external observance, but through inner transformation.
Inner Tabernacle and the Holy of Holies
Exodus 35 describes how the Israelites gave freely of their resources to build the tabernacle. “Every one whom his spirit made willing brought an offering unto the Lord” (Ex. 35:21). This symbolizes the offering of our hearts and minds as living temples. Cayce’s teaching that we must “prepare and attune ourselves for that fulfillment, by making the individual preparation of the ark within us,” echoes this perfectly.
In the ASFG Lesson, fellowship is shown to be an awareness of spiritual relationship:
“Let us examine ourselves that we may know what is buried in our hearts and minds that may be blinding us or binding us.”
This introspection mirrors the purification required of priests before entering the Holy of Holies. The mercy seat represents our inner conscience, the place where God speaks—our personal “ark of the covenant.” Jesus spoke of this when He said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
Fulfillment in Christ
In Moses’ time, the high priest’s offerings before the ark were symbols of atonement—a shadow of the true offering that was to come. As your text explains, Christ became the final and perfect sacrifice, the eternal high priest who opened the way for direct fellowship with the Father. No longer do we need to build physical temples or perform rituals; rather, our lives, our acts of love, and our prayers become the living offerings that unite us with God.
This aligns with the ASFG Lesson:
“Would we have God draw nigh unto us? If so, then let us draw nigh unto God, approaching often the Throne of Grace, with mercy in our hearts.”
Thus, fellowship is both a gift and a discipline. We receive it through grace, but we sustain it through love, service, and forgiveness. Exodus 34–35 reveals that divine fellowship is not limited to sacred places or formal worship—it extends into every act of willing service and every heart that responds to God’s call.
Synthesis
Exodus 34–35 shows God’s covenant and presence manifested in law, worship, and tabernacle.
Cayce’s Bible Class notes interprets these outward forms as inward symbols—the body as the temple and the heart as the ark of the covenant.
ASFG Lesson 6 emphasizes that fellowship comes through love, forgiveness, and obedience to the inner prompting of the Spirit.
Together, they reveal a unified truth:
Fellowship begins in obedience (the Law),
matures in love (the Christ), and
is perfected in service (the Spirit’s work within).
Conclusion
Fellowship with God, whether in Moses’ time or ours, is not a mere ritual but a living relationship. The laws, the tabernacle, and the ark were all symbols pointing to the divine potential within man. Christ fulfilled these symbols by showing us that God dwells not in stone temples but in the human heart. When we, like the Israelites, bring our willing offerings—our love, faith, and service—we become living tabernacles where the promises of God are fulfilled.
In this way, both Exodus and the ASFG Lesson call us to the same eternal truth:
To love God is to love one another, and in that love we find perfect fellowship.
Summary of Holy Symbols and Their Spiritual Meanings
1. The Tabernacle
Biblical Source: Exodus 35:4–35
Meaning: The Tabernacle represents God’s dwelling place among His people and symbolizes the human body as a temple of the living God (1 Cor. 3:16).
Spiritual Interpretation (Cayce): Each part of the tabernacle mirrors aspects of human consciousness—outer court (actions), holy place (mind), and holy of holies (spirit).
2. The Ark of the Covenant
Biblical Source: Exodus 34:28–29; Exodus 35:12
Meaning: The Ark held the Ten Commandments and signified God’s covenant and presence.
Metaphysical Meaning: Represents the heart or inner sanctuary of the soul—the place where divine truth is stored.
Cayce’s View: The Ark within man is the point of meeting with God, where conscience and divine will align.
3. The Mercy Seat
Biblical Source: Exodus 25:17–22 (referenced through the Ark); symbolically supported in the main text.
Meaning: The Mercy Seat was the lid over the Ark, where God’s presence appeared to commune with man.
Spiritual Interpretation: Symbolizes divine compassion and the gift of free will—the “privilege of choice” that allows each soul to respond to God’s call.
Cayce’s Paraphrase: “The mercy seat above the ark is the privilege of choice given to each individual.”
4. The Law (Ten Commandments)
Biblical Source: Exodus 34:27–29
Meaning: The moral framework revealing God’s will for human conduct.
Spiritual Interpretation: The Law represents divine order and harmony.
In Christ’s Fulfillment: Jesus condensed the law into love—“Love one another, as I have loved you.”
5. The High Priest’s Offering
Biblical Source: Exodus 35:19; Levitical context
Meaning: Represents atonement and mediation between God and humanity.
Spiritual Interpretation: Inwardly, symbolizes self-sacrifice and purification of motives.
Fulfillment in Christ: Jesus became the eternal High Priest, offering Himself once for all.
6. The Heart
Biblical and Cayce Context: “The heart is deceitful above all things…” (Jer. 17:9)
Meaning: The heart is both the center of deceit (when self-driven) and of divine awareness (when God-driven).
Spiritual Role: The inner tabernacle or Holy of Holies where the Spirit communes with conscience.
7. The Altar
Biblical Source: Exodus 35:16; 40:5
Meaning: The place of offering and communion with God.
Spiritual Interpretation: The altar within is where we lay down selfish desires and dedicate our lives to divine service.
8. The Rainbow / Arc
Meaning: The arc or rainbow symbolizes the covenant, unity, and the circle of divine completeness.
Cayce’s Note: “The word ‘ark’ itself means a covenant, a spanning or fulfilling… the rainbow is an arc—a portion of a circle.”
9. The Temple of Solomon
Biblical Source: 1 Kings 6 (parallel to Exodus tabernacle)
Meaning: A perfected version of the tabernacle built under divine order.
Spiritual Interpretation: Symbol of the completed soul—fully attuned and harmonious with divine purpose.
10. Jesus Christ
Meaning: The Living Word, fulfillment of all symbols.
Spiritual Interpretation: The embodied temple, the eternal High Priest, and bridge (arc) between God and man.
In Cayce’s Teaching: The Christ Consciousness is the unity point where all extremes meet—flesh and spirit, law and grace.
Affirmation
“The Spirit of the Living God dwells within me.
My body is His temple, my heart His holy place.
In love and service, I keep His covenant and walk in His light.
As I forgive and love others, I live in perfect fellowship with the Father.”
Meaning:
This affirmation aligns with Exodus 34:10 — “Behold, I make a covenant before all thy people.”
Each time you repeat it, visualize the Ark of the Covenant glowing within your heart — a reminder that divine presence lives in you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
You who met Moses in the mount and wrote Your law upon stone,
write now Your love upon my heart.
Cleanse the inner temple of all fear, pride, and resentment.
May Your Spirit dwell within me as in the Holy of Holies,
that I may serve You by serving others,
love You by loving my neighbor,
and know You through quiet fellowship in my soul.
In the name of Christ, the perfect High Priest, I pray.
Amen.
Meaning:
This prayer mirrors Moses’ covenant on Sinai and Christ’s new commandment — “Love one another, as I have loved you.”
It invokes the transformation from written law to living spirit.
Meditation: “The Inner Tabernacle”
Prepare:
Sit quietly, spine upright, breath gentle. Imagine standing before the ancient tabernacle in the wilderness.
Outer Court — Body:
Feel your physical form. Whisper: “This body is the dwelling place of God.”
Holy Place — Mind:
Bring your attention to your thoughts. Offer each thought upon the inner altar, saying: “Let my mind be cleansed by Your truth.”
Holy of Holies — Spirit:
Move awareness to the heart center. See within it the Ark of the Covenant, glowing with golden light.
Above it rests the Mercy Seat, radiant with compassion.
Hear the silent voice: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Union:
Rest in that stillness. Feel love flowing outward — toward all people, all creation.
Conclude softly: “Father, I am one with You.”
Meaning:
This meditation re-creates the journey from the outer court (action) to the holy of holies (spirit), fulfilling the Exodus symbolism within your own being.
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